Teeth: Vampire Tales
Teeth: Vampire Tales — Anthology Genre and Sub-Genres Urban Fantasy / Horror-Fantasy / YA (but not strictly YA) Theme Vampire stories Description Some vampires always have sharp, pointy teeth, so it's easy to recognize them. Then there are others that have teeth that don't get sharp or pointy until they are ready to strike, or until something arouses them in some way. They can be quite sneaky. While some are not sun lovers and avoid it at all costs, others adapt very well to various kinds of daylight. Not all vampires run at the sight of a cross nor do they all sleep in caskets. And did you know that just because a vampire bites you, it doesn't necessarily make you its slave? These are just a few little confusions that you might be able to clear up by reading this delicious collection of vampire stories. Like looking at a piece of crystal, here are all kinds of vampires along with people who find themselves entwined—willingly or otherwise. TEETH gives us 19 stories in which we meet the sophisticated, worldly vampires, the antique collectors, the reckless teenagers, the circus performers, the novice undead, the cursed, the creepy, the sneaky, the hungry ones, and the tricksters who lure and lie. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling have put together one of the best vampire short story collections to come along in a while. Plenty of blood is unabashedly drawn in this book, with offerings from some of the most outstanding fantasy/horror writers around, including Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Garth Nix and Ellen Kushner. There's something for everyone, and though this collection might find a greater audience with teenagers, it's an absolute must for any vampire/horror fan, whatever the age. ~ Bookreporter.com Editor and Authors Editors: Ellen Datlow (SciFi, Fant, Hor, Shorts), Terri Windling (Early UF, Fant, ), Contributors: Cecil Castellucci (), Cassandra Clare (UF, YA), Melissa Marr (UF, YA), Holly Black (UF, YA), Neil Gaiman (), Jeffrey Ford (), Nathan Ballingrud (), Kathe Koja (), Catherynne M. Valente (), Ellen Kushner (), Lucrius Shepard (), Genevieve Valentine (), Emma Bull (Early UF, Fant), Tanith Lee (Fant, Hor, SciFi YA, Hist, Detective, Cont-Psych, Children), Steve Berman (), Christopher Barzak (), Delia Sherman (), Garth Nix (), Suzy McKee Charnas (), Kaaron Warren () Supernatural Elements Vampires, Jiang-shi, power to other's emotions, circus, sentient doll, Gritchino, , , , , * Vamire Varieties: Jiang-shi, Gritchino, fledgling vampires, vampires newly revealed to human world, vampire circus, country threatened by vampirism, vampire loneliness, vampires: known as "the Quality, Vampirism epidemic, mercy-killing vampire, recessive genetic vampirism, vampire trapped under house, territorial vampire, vampire who can't remember own history, Bro & sis vampires; vampire dinner party etiquette, vampire curse, arranged vampire marriage, vampire who can walk in sunlight List of Stories Synopsis by Story ✦ "Things to Know About Being Dead" by Genevieve Valentine ✥ The title fairly explains what the story is about. A funny, bittersweet story about a girl finding herself as a vampire. ✥ Suyin is killed in an auto accident when her drunken girlfriend runs into a tree. She is no sooner aware of being dead than she realizes that her body is able to function and that, to all outward appearances, she is, in some form, still alive. After a few frightful days of really feeling awful—terrible thirst, an inability to sleep, her body going through strange changes—it is her grandmother who offers her comfort and explains that she has become a jiang-shi. Jiang-shi '''are '''vampires, her grandmother says, and now she must drink blood because otherwise her body will decompose. Though she hates the thought of drinking blood, it's not so bad after a while. Something even more terrifying begins to crowd in on her, and the feeling that she is not alone becomes a reality. She has brought someone or something back with her—his name is Jake: His eye sockets were two black pits, as if sadness had swallowed him up while he was still alive. ✥ Suyin who dies and comes back as a jiang-shi. She also brings back a ghost boy named Jake who keeps her company. Her grandmother is the only one who knows what's going on with her. Suyin learns, with help from her grandma, how to cope with her newfound deadness. I liked the lore of the jiang-shi and Suyin's relationship with her grandma. ~ Reader Girls Blog ✦ "All Smiles" by Steve Berman Action packed story about a boy, Saul, who flees a vicious boarding school only to find out it is not what he thought it was. ✥ A young boy running away from reform school who learns the hard way that vampires exist.✥ Main character Saul is an escapee from Cotre Ranch, an "outdoor behavoiral health care facility" for kids to "kick their drug habits". Saul is picked up one night in the pouring rain by two people, Marley and Dutch. Cool looking, attractive, he wonders if these two are what they seem. Just when you think the story is going one way, Berman slams you into a completely different area and Saul is more complex than he seems. ~ Reader Girls Blog ✥ A gay kid runs away from a boot camp and hitches a ride with a couple of strangers. ✥ Saul goes hitchhiking and is picked up by a couple of vampires. It then turns into action, and Saul's realisation that everyone else knew about the vampires, just not him. ✥ ✦ "Gap Year" by Christopher Barzak A story about vampires being revealed to the human world and how it affects a young girl. ✥ Lottie's adjusting to having vampires living among humans. One vamp, Trevor, speaks at her high school, and she is not sure if she's genuinely interested in him or if he's controlling her mind. She leaves school early and talks to him in the parking lot. When he offers her a ride home she wants to refuse but doesn't. The two become acquaintances of sorts and she discovers she has vampiric abilities to take other's emotions. At the end when Lottie decides she wants a gap year between graduating and starting college so she takes advantage of her new 'friend' as well. ~ Reader Girls Blog ✥ Lottie’s story about how sometimes childhood friends aren’t the friends you think they are. ✥ Retta and Lottie have a nice little friendship. Then the vampires come to town and Retta and Lottie's friendship breaks up slowly. ❖ ✦ "Bloody Sunrise" by Neil Gaiman Short poem by Gaiman from a vampire's point of view. ✥ A vampire lamenting the loneliness of his existence as he searches through the night. "Bloody Sunrise comes again / Leaves me hungry and alone / Every time" ✥ Written from the vampire's point of view, about how it rises, goes along life and is bound by a bloody sunrise. ❖ ✦ "Flying" by Delia Sherman About young girl who is a trapeze artist with Luekemia and struggling to find a way to join the circus and joins an unlikely troupe. ✥ A young trapeze artist and her parents have to stop touring when she develops Leukemia, but Lenka misses the circus and wants more than anything to return. ✥ Lenka is getting over leukaemia, and wants to get back into circus work, like she did before. She then joins a circus of vampires. ✦ "Vampire Weather" by Garth Nix About a young man who lives in an Amish-like society in a country threatened by vampirism...or is it...where vampires are everyday occurrences. ✥ Amos lives in the time of vampires and is bitten by one after his protection is taken by a girl named Tangerine's kissing him. He has 24 hours to get vaccinated or he will change. ✥ Vampirism has become an epidemic, but Amos belongs to a secluded religious community that stubbornly clings to the “old ways”. ✥ In this world, Amos uses religion to protect him from the vampires. When bitten, he is offered a scientific cure, going against his religion. ❖ ✦ "Late Bloomer" by Suzy Mckee Charnas About a kid who doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. While working at an antique shop that all changes. ✥ Follows Josh, who just can’t seem to find his place and what he is supposed to do with his life. Perhaps, being a vampire isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. ✥ Josh is a fairly musical boy, although he ends up working at a small shop. A couple of vampires turn up, turn out to be art collectors, and various things happen. A vampire is unable to create anything, and therefore collects stuff instead. ❖ ✦ "The List of Definite Endings" by Kaaron Warren A vampire finds a more merciful way to take her prey and find another way to satisfy her need for blood. ✥ A gentle vampire named Claudia, whose mission is to bring merciful death to those in need. She works from a list of the terminally ill. Each death was worth grieving, each life was worth remembering. ✥ Vampire Claudia and human Ken. Ken's work means he has a list of terminally ill people. Throughout the years, Claudia, who doesn't want to go hunting, uses this list to work out who to take blood from. ✦ "Best Friends Forever" by Cecil Castellucci This is a story about two best friends: one who is dying and one who is dead. ✥ Sad story, of illness and dying. But it also tells of friendship, and how friends can save and change each other. ✥ Amy the vampire and Gina, a girl who's dying, are very close friends. This is a story that shows exactly how deep their friendship is. ❖ ✦ "Sit the Dead" by Jeffrey Ford An action packed, gruesome story about a family's dark genetic secret—'recessive genetic vampirism'. ✥ Luke wants to be with Darlene, but there are certain things her family does that he has to do when someone dies, and Darlene asks Luke to sit with the dead with her Uncle Sfortunado. ✥ Luke is asked to sit vigil for dead Gracie, with weird uncle Sfortunado. And then Gracie rises as a Gritchino, a type of vampire. ❖ Joshua makes friends with a vampire, who attacks his family and transforms Joshua. ❖ ✦ "Sunbleached" By: Nathan Ballingrud (Horror) Gory and disturbing story about a boy who has a vampire living under his house. ✥ A story about a young man trying to outwit the vampire that lives under his house. A highly intelligent, very clever vampire fights for shelter from the light and bargains for Joshua's house —but that's not all he wants. ✥ Joshua has trapped a vampire under their house, and wants it to turn him. ✥ Joshua hides a vampire under his house, waiting for the right moment to invite him in. ✥ ✦ "Baby" by Kathe Koja (Horror) A creepy story about a girl who has a special doll. ✥ Jani stumbles upon a sentient doll that becomes a “familiar” while digging through her grandmother’s old boxes—which she calls “Baby”—and it behaves in very creepy ways. ~ Muggle-Born.net ✥ Narrated by a girl who has come across a baby, who is obviously a vampire from the descriptions. ❖ Touches on issues of race, poverty, sexuality and adolescence; it’s a very different kind of vampire story. ❖ ✦ "In the Future When All's Well" by Catherynne M. Valente About a future where vampirism is contagious like as the flu and as preached against as teen pregnancy. ✥ Tells of a future time when suddenly, for reasons no one can figure out, people are turning into vampires. Especially teenagers. ✥ In this world vampires are commonplace, Health and Safety measures go to ridiculous levels against vampirism, and you're fairly likely to turn, especially if you fall into a High Risk group, such as being conceived on a Saturday, being OCD, or having unkempt eyebrows. This is all about Scout's life in this world, making friends with vampires, and so on. ❖ ✦ "Transition" by Melissa Marr About a girl who gets turned into a territorial sort of vampire. ✥ A creepy walk into a graveyard where a ruthless young woman named Nikki turns Eliana into a vampire. She finds herself being tortured by Nikki and drawn to the handsome Sebastian. When Eliana finally realizes her own power, she takes control. But Sebastian has a surprise coming...and it's much too late for Nikki. ✥ A look at the downsides of being a vampire–the possessiveness and the inability to kill the vampire who turned you being two big downsides. ✥ ✦ "History" by Ellen Kushner A historian student is dating a vampire and constantly frustrated by the vampire's inability to remember all of the important events he took part in. ✥ A sweet and melancholy character study between a human college student and her older vampire lover. ✥ Story of a history student in love with a vampire, and her frustration with his inability to remember events she desperately wants to know more about. ✦ "The Perfect Dinner Party" by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black A vampire girl (who appears to be fourteen) explains dinner party etiquette. ✥ Brother and sister vampires change the directions of their lives over the course of one dinner. Charles wants a human girl, his sister Jenny doesn't think the girl is up to the standards enacted by their maker, Mr. DuChamp. ✥ Looks at the downsides of never growing older. Especially if you’re a child when you were turned. ✥ Told from the POV of a perpetual 14 year old vampire, she describes how she and her brother ended up hosting a dinner party. ✥ It revolves around a dinner party, hosted by two vampires, with a human guest. A vampire who looks 14, is resenting the fact that her older brother can get along in society just fine and she can't. This all comes out at said dinner party, and various family secrets are revealed. ❖ ✦ "Slice of Life" by Lucius Shepard A lonely girl girl who wants nothing more than a friend has to decide if she will become a serial killer to release her vampire friend from its curse. ✥ A girl named Louie is slutty and happens to have a great body. She has befriended a vampire, Sabrine, who is tied to a certain piece of land. Louie has some growing up to do and she has the summer to decide the direction of her future. Does she stay and help the ghost-like Sabine by bringing her victims to kill or does she leave and start a new life with her mom's ex in Florida? ✥ What would you be willing to do for you friend, and how can you be sure your friends love you for who you are, not just what you can do for them. ✥ Sandrine needs people for various reasons, and Louise gets them for her. ❖ ✦ "My Generation" by Emma Bull A poem about how a vampire views the passing generations. ✥ Life is viewed in musical terms throughout. ❖ ✦ "Why Light?" by Tanith Lee A beautiful and touching story about a vampire girl who is sent off for an arranged marriage. She dreads meeting the man she is forced to marry but ends up finding out that things are different than they at first seem. ✥ A powerfully moving love story about familial obligations in vampire society. Daisha is a rare vampire who can walk in sunlight. To abide by Alliance law, she has to become the wife of Zeev Duvalle and join the two families (her rare ability will help his family's future bloodlines). ✥ These vampires are born and not made, but different traits have different strengths. ✥ Daisha is going on a journey-she's a vampire still young enough to bear children, and therefore she's basically forced into an arranged marriage with Zeev. ❖ Publishing Information * Publisher: HarperCollins * Book Page: Teeth | Paperback ~ HarperCollins * Book data: Paperback, 452 pages, Published April 5th 2011—ISBN: 006193514X Cover Blurb ✥ Sink your teeth into these bite-sized tales exploring the intersections among the living, dead, and undead. Features stories by Neil Gaiman, Melissa Marr, Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Garth Nix, and many more. ~ Goodreads ✥ Fascinated by vampires? Then feast on nineteen tantalizing, bite-sized tales exploring the intersections between the living, dead, and undead. The vampires in these stories range from romantic to chilling to gleeful - and touch on nearly every emotion in between. The one thing they have in common is their desire for blood. ~ Teeth ~ FF About the Editors: ✥ Ellen Datlow was the fiction editor at Omni magazine for seventeen years. She is now editor of the web zine Event Horizon She has edited numerous successful anthologies, including Blood Is Not Enough, Little Deaths, Off Limits, Twists of the Tale, and Vanishing Acts. With Terri Windling she has edited the popular anthology series The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror for thirteen years. A multiple World Fantasy Award-winner, she lives in New York City. ~ Ellen Datlow Author Page ✥ Terri Windling is a writer, editor, and artist specializing in fantasy literature and mythic arts. She has published over forty books, winning nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and placing on the short list for the Tiptree Award. She received the S.F.W.A. Solstice Award in 2010 for "outstanding contributions to the speculative fiction field as a writer, editor, artist, educator, and mentor." Her work has been translated into French, German, Spanish, Italian, Czech, Russian, Turkish, Korean, and Japanese. ~ Terri Windling Author Page Category:Anthologies